A New Beginning
by Denebola Leo
Summary: When Aerith and Zack returned from the Lifestream, Cloud and Tifa knew it was time to celebrate. Cover by MarleNadia!


**A/N: Prompt for Endless Summer 2019 for CloTi-Zerith Week on Tumblr! Thanks to MarleNadia for giving it the once over!**

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Costa Del Sol was nice year round. Even during Meteorfall it had been a pleasant spot to spend one's final days, despite the red tinge to the sky and the ominous breeze strengthening from beyond the sea. It was a place of rest and relaxation, a place to celebrate and enjoy life.

They would celebrate life.

Cloud unlocked the door to his villa, bought nearly three years ago and used by everyone in AVALANCHE. He hadn't been here since before the final battle, and entering it, he wondered why. It was just so comfy. A smirk crossed his straw hat-shaded face as he lifted a hand to present the house. "Welcome to Villa Cloud," he said smugly.

"Oh ho ho! My little chocobo head got himself a sweet vacation spot!" Zack rushed in to check the amenities while Tifa and Aerith entered the home, suitcases in hand.

It was the greatest gift the planet could ever give. The last Cetra was reborn with her first bodyguard, apparently out of a need to keep itself safe with the help of humans and the hope that Aerith could bring at least a few back into its teachings. Or so Aerith had explained to them when she and Zack appeared in Seventh Heaven before the celebratory party.

Marlene and Denzel dashed in, playing a game of who would get the best bed. When everyone finished unpacking, Zack dragged Cloud out of the house to shop for supplies. Tomorrow, everyone would be there to party. Right now, the rest of AVALANCHE prepared their suitcases until Cid picked them all up, with Shera by his side to boot.

"You two can stay with us, you know," Tifa began as she set up the grill in the sandy backyard, her sandaled feet partly coated in cool sand. To its credit, it had weathered the beach weather quite well. It was a coal grill, which suited her tastes better; they had been rare in Edge and Midgar.

Aerith looked over the spacious yard, the palm trees and dune grass overrunning the borders. She supposed no one had been here recently. A light, blue shirt protected her fair skin from the sun, and she played with the seam that bordered her denim capris. "Maybe I can open a flower shop."

"Oh, that would be great! Flowers are still hard to find in Edge." Tifa let the charcoal warm up as she finished setting the grill up, and then wiped her hands together. "I would love to fill the bar with flowers."

The Cetra looked over and smiled at her friend. "For you, it'll only be a gil," she said with a wink.

Tifa giggled. It was so wonderful to have Aerith back, and she was thinking of a future, too. "Hm. But what about Zack?"

"Oh, as if you didn't hear those two talking about expanding the delivery service!" Aerith's smile grew. "I guess we'll have more time to ourselves."

As much as Tifa wanted more time with Cloud, that was a nice thing to think about, too. "I'm sure with Zack around, Cloud won't be so stretched thin."

"Hey, we're back!" Zack and Cloud came out of the backdoor. Zack was carrying a paper bag, and Cloud was holding a package of hotdogs for the grill. Zack's was full of...well, the only thing either Tifa or Aerith could make out was a deflated beach ball. "Got some stuff for the kids to play with."

Cloud walked over to Tifa with a small smile on his face. "We put away the rest of the groceries. Just thought I'd bring these out."

"Thanks, Cloud." With that, the preparations for the small party began. Tifa worked on the food while using Cloud as a spare pair of hands, and Aerith helped Zack set up the silly little party favors and lights he bought. The children were delighted with the water guns, and Zack blew into the beach ball until his cheeks were red.

Both Cloud and Zack were shirtless and in boardshorts as they set up folding chairs for everyone on the porch. As the food grilled, Tifa went inside to help Aerith and Marlene make some macaroni salad and other cold sides.

"Hey, Cloud." Zack pulled out a Cosmo Candle from the bottom of the bag, then handed it to him with a grin. "Bet I can dodge these better than you."

The blond looked down at the firework, a shy look on his face. "I dunno..." Would it be a bad influence on the kids?

The ebon-haired ex-Soldier playfully scoffed. "Chicken."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "That's not gonna work on me."

Zack walked away, towards the other side of the sandy yard. "Alright, but if you won't..." He twisted around and pulled the self ignite string off the Cosmo Candle, then aimed it at Cloud. "I will!"

The first tiny rocket shot out at Cloud with a shriek, a small tail of red and green spewing behind it. He dodged it by rolling on the sand, then quickly ignited his own as he crouched. Blue and yellow shot out at Zack, almost hitting his foot.

"You're rusty, Zack!"

He stood up straight just in time for one to strike him on the shoulder. It hurt, but for some reason, it was funny. Cloud aimed, and got Zack in the chest as he sidestepped from his original position; both dodged the next barrage, then he shouted as one got him in the foot. He heard Zack laughing at him as he looked down at his legs as sparks burned his skin.

"Wizard war!" Zack laughed out as he took aim again.

"Cloud!"

"Zack!"

They both turned their heads to see Aerith and Tifa sternly watching them, their faces warping into an expression of shock as a firework ricocheted off Cloud's forehead. He stumbled to the ground and groaned. Footsteps stomped closer to him as he stared up at the blue sky and palm fronds.

"Well, that just happened." Zack rubbed the back of his head.

"Cloud!" Denzel was shaking his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Uh."

"Get back, everyone!" Aerith's cool hand went to his forehead for the second time in as many days. "Cloud, would you stop pushing your luck?"

"I'll dodge it next time," he replied as green light poured over him. Cloud sat up and ran his fingers through his spikes, noticing a very slight char on some of his bangs. He was going to get Zack back for that.

Tifa sighed harshly as she helped him up. "No next time! You two are going to be a terrible influence on the kids!" She looked back at Marlene and Denzel. "Don't do what those two did, it's dangerous!"

"Okay," they said in unison.

Cloud sat on the sand after dinner, watching as Marlene and Denzel played with sparklers in the dark with Aerith and Zack, their new "Aunt and Uncle". Or Funcle, as Zack had put it while devouring a hot dog. It had a certain ring to it, he thought, or it was just his mild concussion talking.

An ice cream cone appeared right in front of him, held by Tifa. She was sitting down next to him, leaning into his shoulder as he took it from her. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"Mhm." She looked up at the sky as the first stars began twinkling overhead.

Cloud quietly licked at his ice cream, the silence between them speaking more than words could. Well, if he could think of many words to say, that was. He'd been an ass, it had just been glossed over with the shock of Aerith and Zack being alive again.

His eyes went from the side of Tifa's face to the stars above. Nostalgia washed over him, and took over his voice. "...I promise."

Tifa turned to the sound of his mumbling voice, watching as he squeezed his eyes shut, and she wondered if he was suffering from brain freeze. "Cloud?"

He huffed through his nose, then looked at Tifa, his cheeks reddening in the low light coming from the porch. "...I'm sorry. I'll never leave you and the kids again. I promise."

Sorry wouldn't cut it. Months of missed calls, then weeks of him gone without a trace, without a reason. But a promise from him, she could trust. A promise from Cloud was a sturdy foundation. She nodded, accepting it.

Tentatively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer. "I think it'll be easier to move on."

Tifa smiled as she watched the four on the other side of the yard make shapes in the air with their sparklers, listening to Marlene whoop and Zack laugh. The last couple of years had had ups and pretty bad lows, but she felt that with Aerith and Zack back in the land of the living, perhaps now it would be smooth sailing.


End file.
